For Love of Prongs
by Ladyhuntress36
Summary: Sirius harbors a desperate fear of losing James , his best mate and brother but when he finds James crushed after another rejection by Lily he decides to take drastic action. After all who in their right mind would try and convince Lily to date James


For Love of Prongs

Author: ladyhuntress36

Rating: T ( To be safe)

Disclaimer: Spoiler Alert: I do not own Harry Potter!

Summary: Sirius harbors a secret and desperate fear of losing James Potter, his best mate and brother but when he finds James crushed after another rejection by Lily Evans he decides to take drastic action. After all who in their right mind would try and convince Lily Evans to date James Potter.

A/N: Two of my best friends and I have been handling out Post Potter Depression by doing fic exchanges. Siobhan wanted a Sirius is afraid of losing James but convinces Lily to give him a chance fic and so here it is. I enjoyed writing this immensely and I'm anxious to hear what you all think. I hope you enjoy and Happy Reading.

For Love of Prongs

"Come on Lily, it's just one afternoon. Come with me to Hogsmeade. "James asked Lily as she sat by the fireplace going over the prefect rotation schedule for the week.

"No Potter, find someone else to sit on your arm as you prance through the village." Lily said turning her back to him.

Sirius saw James's face fall even from his spot at the other end of the common room. He watched as James walked across the room to where the Marauder's had spread their books out to cram for McGonagall's transfiguration test the next morning.

"Tough luck mate," Sirius said as James dropped into the empty seat on his right.

James sighed and put his head in his hands as Remus and Peter offered their condolences on his rejection. Looking at James who was clearly upset, he felt that familiar sharp pain that struck quickly at his heart. He tried to ignore it, tried to shove it away but in the end it remained to torment him with accusations of being a horrid friend. Perhaps the most distressing notion of all to Sirius was that the feeling was right.

Sirius Black had been James Potter's best friend since they met on the train before the start of first year. Now, seven years later they were brothers. They did everything together, were there for the other whenever it was needed. James had even given Sirius a place to stay when he had run from his home after 5th year.

Sirius knew that James was head over heels in love with Lily Evans and due to the fact that they were inseparable, that they were brothers, Sirius should be completely bummed that James got rejected again but he wasn't, at least not all of him was.

That was where the sharp bite of pain came from; it was the guilt that ate at him for having a part of himself which was glad that James had gotten turned down. He didn't often admit it to himself or let himself dwell on it, in fact it was usually only when he was roaring drunk that he entertained the thought at all but if he was honest, loosing James was his one and greatest fear.

That was why he was always just a bit glad that Evans turned James down time and time again. If James had a girlfriend than he would be spending time with her and Sirius couldn't help it as his mind created numerous images of James forsaking him to hang out with Evans, of James and he being anything less than brother, of he, Sirius, being alone. He knew that it was petty but part of him couldn't stand Lily Evans simply due to the risk she posed.

"Whatever our textbook did to you Padfoot I'm sure it's very sorry."

Remus's voice broke through his depressing thoughts and he realized that he had been glaring at the textbook in front of him as he thought. He plastered his signature smirk onto his lips as he said, " Eh, it's keeping me here in the common room isn't it. If it wasn't for this test I could've been on a hot date with that chick from Hufflepuff."

" Wait, you're not talking about the Hufflepuff prefect you were hitting on during Herbology are you?"

"Yeah, what's her name, Anna, Leah..."

"Her name is Amelia, Amelia Bones and she would eat you for breakfast Padfoot. She's got the second highest grade in DADA and she thinks you are an arrogant cad."

James snorted and gave a small chuckle. Sirius smiled; glad to see James laughing even if it was at his expense.

"What do you say guys, should we head up. I don't think I can cram anymore of this into my head." Peter said.

"Considering your head is so full of sawdust to begin with Wormtail I'm surprised you can cram anything into it at all." James teased.

The boys continued to joke as they packed up their stuff and headed up to the dorm. Remus broke out his chess set and offered to once again attempt to teach Peter how to play. Peter grinned happily and took a seat next to Remus. Sirius flopped down on his bed and looked over at James, expecting to see him flopped down as well. He wasn't.

James was sitting by the window looking out at the lake. Sirius frowned and walked over to sit next to his best mate.

"What's eating you Prongs?"

"It's Lily. I just don't know what else to do Paddy. I've tried everything I can think of to show her that I've changed. I've really tried to grow up you know. The day I got my Head Boy badge, after I'd recovered from the shock and contemplated what Dumbledore could have been smoking when he made the choice, I had an idea. I thought that I could apply myself, really try to be the best Head Boy I could be. That would show Lily that I was different, that I was someone worthy of her but it hasn't made a damn bit of difference. I love her Paddy, I love her so much that it hurts, but I'm running out of ideas and maybe it's just time to face facts and admit that I don't really have a chance.

This was wrong, James Potter didn't do depressive thoughts and he didn't do introspection and he certainly didn't look a long sigh away from giving up. This wasn't his brother; this person sitting next to him was a shell of his brother and he wasn't going to stand for it. Heaving a long sigh he got up, squeezing James's shoulder as he rose.

"Where are you off to Padfoot?" James asked.

"I've got to take care of something; I'll be back soon okay. Chin up Prongsy, things will get better."

Sirius walked out of the dorm and down the stairs into the common room, a man on a mission. He looked around the common room and spotted what he was looking for sitting by the fire. Steeling himself for what he was about to do, he shoved the part of himself that feared losing his brother firmly to the side before walking over to the fireplace.

"Evans, we need to talk."

"I'm busy Black."

"Yeah well I don't really care. We need to talk, now!" Sirius told her, his silver eyes boring into her emerald ones as she turned to look at him.

"I swear Black if this is about some prank you pulled or trouble you want me to smooth over…"

"I'd be talking to Remus and not you." Sirius interjected.

"Fine, then what do you want."

"I want to talk to you about James."

"You've got to be kidding me." Lily said incredulously.

"Do I look like I'm kidding? I know you think I'm a giant joke Evans, but this is my best mate's happiness that I'm here to talk to you about and I don't joke around about that."

"Look Black, if this is about Potter asking me to Hogsmeade, I already told him no."

"No, you told the James Potter from years one through six no. You can't have rejected the James Potter who's attending his 7th year here because you don't even know him."

"Black..."

"Be quite Evans. I have a lot to say and you're going to listen and if after you want to tell me to bugger off then feel free but you will listen."

Sirius took a breath and continued.

"James has been crushing on you for years Evans and I know that you know. If I am perfectly honest with myself then I can say that James was, what did you call him 5th year, oh yeah, an arrogant toe rag. I was little better. The thing is Evans, he changed."

"He's…"

"More responsible, more level-headed, a better student, a better man. He's trying Evans, he's trying so damn hard to be the kind of person who you would deem worthy and you won't give him the bloody time of day."

"He's not that differ…" She stopped suddenly.

"Can't finish that statement can you Evans, I… I understand." Sirius's voice, which had been razor sharp softened.

"It is the change that's doing it, or rather, fear of change. We can't control it and it can be dead scary. You know the old James, he's the one you're comfortable with, you know how he operates. This new James, the responsible Head Boy, you're not sure about him and so you push him away from you, if you don't get to know him that nothing bad can happen."

Sirius took a another deep breath and let it out in a sigh, looking at Lily whose attention was focused on him.

"I know James, Evans; he's been my best mate for seven years now. He's brave and loyal and he would do anything for the people he loves. He's done a fabulous job the last six years of making you think he's slime but that's not who he really is. Evans… Lily, please give him a chance, just one chance with an open mind to let him show you that he's changed. Go to Hogsmeade with him. If you go with an open mind and in that one afternoon realize even a tiny bit of what I've known about James for years now, you'll take him and you won't let him go.

"I'll… I'll think about it Black. I… I need to get back to work now." Lily stammered.

"Alright then, thanks for listening Evans. Goodnight."

Sirius walked back up to his dorm and ignored the questions aimed at him by the Marauders as he crawled into his bed. He awoke late the next morning to an empty dorm. He quickly threw some robes on and walked down the stairs into the common room. He saw Remus and Peter sitting by the fire looking wide eyed as though they had found the bloody ghost of Christmas Past. He followed their gazes and felt his own eyes widen as well.

Across the common room James and Lily sat side by side. They weren't fighting, arguing, or yelling. They were talking, just talking. Sirius watched as James said something and Lily laughed. After awhile Lily nodded at something James said and then got up and headed towards the Fat Lady. As she passed Sirius she gave him a small smile.

Sirius tore his gaze from Lily to look at James who had just turned to head back to the Marauder's. His hazel eyes gleamed and there was a grin on his face unlike anything Sirius had ever seen. He walked with a bounce in his step and when he reached the Marauder's he said simply, "She said yes!"

Sirius felt the familiar fear assault him, that fear of losing his brother. Shaking his head he told the fear firmly to shove it. He loved James like a brother and this was what brothers did. They looked after one another, they did whatever they could to keep the other happy no matter what the person cost.

He still felt the fear but he was able to ignore it, and he knew in his heart that he made the right choice. He had put everything on the line for his brother's happiness and that could never, ever be wrong.


End file.
